mallery.] PERSONAL NAME. 171 



without an answer to these questions. A striking instance of this plu- 

 rality of names among theDakotas was connected with the name Sitting- 

 Bull, belonging to the leader of the hostile band, while one of that name 

 was almostequally noted as being the head soldier of the friendly Dakotas 

 at Red-Cloud Agency. The present writer also found a number of Da- 

 kotas named Lone Dog when in search of the recorder of the winter count 

 above explained. The case may be illustrated by christian names among 

 civilized people. At the time when a former President of the United 

 .States was the leading topic of conversation, nearly any one being asked 

 who bore the name of Ulysses would be able to refer to General Grant, 

 but few other christian names would convey any recognized identity. 

 Indeed, the surname may be added and multiplicity with confusion still 

 remain. Very few r men have names so peculiar as not to find them with 

 exact literation iu the directories of the large cities. 



Among the many peculiarities connected with Indian personal names, 

 far too many for discussion here, is their avoidance of them iu direct 

 address, terms of kinship or relative age taking their place. Major J. 

 W. Powell, in some remarks before the Anthropological Society of 

 Washington, on the functions performed by kinship terms among Indian 

 tribes, stated that at one time he had the Kaibab Indians, a small tribe 

 of northern Arizona, traveling with him. The young chief was called 

 by white men "Frank." For several weeks he refused to give his Indian 

 name, and Major Powell endeavored to discover it by noticing the term 

 by which he was addressed by the other Indians ; but invariably some 

 kinship term was employed. One day in a quarrel his wife called him 

 "Chuarumpik (Yucca-heart.)" Subsequently Major Powell questioned 

 the young chief about the matter, who explained and apologized for the 

 great insult which his wife had given him by stating that she was 

 excused by great provocation. The insult consisted iu calling the man 

 by his real name. 



The following is quoted for comparison with the name-system of the 

 Indians of Guiana, from Everard F. im Thurn, op. cit., p. 219, et scq.: 



The system under which the Indians have their personal names is intricate, and 

 difficult to explain. In the first place, a name, which may be called the proper name, 

 is always given to a young child soon after birth. It is said to be proper that the 

 peaiman, or medicine-man, should choose and give this name ; but, at any rate now, 

 the naming seems moie often left to the parents. The word selected is generally the 

 name of some plant, bird, or other natural object. Among Arawak proper names may 

 be mentioned Yambenassi (night-monkey) and Yuri-tokoro (tobacco-flower), and among 

 Macusi names Ti-ti (owl), Cheripvng (star?), and Simiri (locust-tree). But these 

 names seem of little use, in that owners have a very strong objection to telling or 

 using them, apparently on the ground that the name is part of the man, and that he 

 who knows the name has part of the owner of that name in his power. 



To avoid any danger of spreading kuowledge of their names, one Indian, therefore, 

 generally addresses another only according to the relationship of the caller and the 

 called, as brother, sister, father, mother, and so on ; or, when there is no relationship, 

 as boy, girl, companion, and so on. These terms, therefore, practically form the 

 names actually used by Indiaus amongst themselves. But an Indian is just as un- 



